1872 .] 
ON CROSS-BREEDING PELARGONIUMS.-NO. II. 
35 
middle of October, and early in February. For tlie first sowing I prefer to place 
tlie pots on a south border in the open air, with an arrangement for shielding 
them from the direct sun’s rays and heavy rains; for the two latter sowings I 
place the pots on dry bottom-heat, in the propagating department of my house. 
I water well with a fine rose after planting, but sparingly when they are up. 
The point to ensure their speedy vegetation is to shade them; they like heat 
without the drying influence of the direct sun-ray, and moisture without stagnant 
wet or damp hanging on their seed-leaves, which causes them to fog off. The 
sooner the seed is planted after being gathered the better, as it will then very 
quickly germinate, in which case, and under favourable circumstances, it will all 
be up in ten days, at most. 
The August-sown seedlings are fit for transplanting into thumb-pots about 
the middle of October, the October sowing early in February, and the February 
ones in April. For this transplanting I use light mould, that is, my ordinary 
compost, considerably lightened by the addition of extra silver-sand and a little 
peat. Care should be taken that it is in good condition, neither too damp, nor 
too dry. Water must be very sparingly given until they have taken hold; in 
fact, I do not water them at all, if I can possibly avoid it, for fully ten days after 
transplanting, or there is fear of their shanking. I put into each pot a fac-simile 
label of that in the seed pot. I shift them into large 60’s or 54’s, at convenience, 
after they have fairly filled the thumbs with roots, using my ordinary compost. 
The first week in June I place them all out in an open position where they 
get the full benefit of sun and air. As they show flower I take them into the 
house, preferring their flowering under glass to judge of their qualities ; those that 
I consider good or worthy of further trial, I put a second label to, with a number 
corresponding to an entry I make in note-book No. 3 ; wherein I note, at the 
same time, the colour, size, and quality of flower, the habit of growth and 
parentage. 
Whether fertilizing, or raising the seed for foliage varieties, or those for flower, 
the process I adopt is precisely similar, with one exception, viz., that as the 
seedlings of those fertilized for variegated foliage make their appearance, I care¬ 
fully examine the cotyledons of each, and those in which I can perceive no mark¬ 
ings, but that are perfectly green, I at once pull up, for those would grow up and 
remain green zonals to the end ; while those with the slightest marking on either 
cotyledon would (however green the plant might grow up) at some period or 
other, perhaps after a lapse of years, break into variegation. 
The after treatment of the seedling plants of the foliage section differs some¬ 
what from that of the flowering ; they are more delicate, weaker in constitution, 
and are benefited by being planted out into the open border, and there allowed 
to develop their qualities, they gaining by the additional robustness obtained b}^ 
the freedom of their roots ; while the seedling plants of the flowering section are 
apt to become too vigorous, running too much to foliage, and require the restraint 
the pot secures to develop the qualities of their flowers. When any portion of the 
